Reflecting on the 2L Life

By the time you read this, I will be submitting my final project of 2L. What a ride it has been. The saying is, “1L they work you to death” (true), “2L they work you to death… also true.” Now… a lot of my “working to death” was all of my doing. For example, I took 18 credits, both semesters. In addition to that, I also completed 300-hour externships both semesters, for no credit. In the fall, I continued working at the government agency I was at during the summer, and in the spring, I had a stipend based externship at a law firm. I was busy, but I wouldn’t change a thing!

I believe 2L is where you can begin to see yourself as a lawyer, and I am so grateful for all of the experiences that enabled me to know I was on the right path. Here are the best decisions I made during 2L.

I joined a clinic

In the fall, I was a 38d (limited practice) student for the City of Tucson. I remember the call I had with my dad when I told him I had won my first bench trial. He said, “that is so great, what did the teacher say? I knew you were nervous.” I responded that I had not told them yet. Confused, he said, “wasn’t she there, it’s a class…” I laughed and said, “No, dad, this was a real case, and an attorney supervised me, as I did the case, in front of a Judge.” I don’t think I will ever forget him going “WHAT!?!?” I learned so much during that clinic, and it solidified the fact that I should pursue litigation.

I entered a closing argument competition

Because of my clinic, I knew I wanted to get some practice making a closing argument before I had to do it in an actual courtroom. This desire inspired me to enter the closing argument competition. I did well and received an invitation to join the trial team. I wrote about this last semester, explaining that I had to turn down the invitation, because well, I just did not have time. This experience taught me to know my limits. Even though I said “no,” I knew I wanted to be on the trial team as a 3L, and I tried out again in the spring and made the team for next year!!

I focused on practical classes

It feels like there are two paths, and no, I am not talking about litigation vs. transactional, but rather to take bar classes or not to take bar classes. For me, I selected the experimental/practical course route. I do not regret this at all, and this decision has really helped me excel at work. During my summer, I realized that while knowing the law is important, knowing how to conduct effective legal research, communicate with clients effectively to build trust, and having the ability to write well is what seemed to matter most. Not only did this prepare me well for my externships, but I discovered this is where I could excel in the classroom as well. I learn best by applying what I learn in classroom simulations, and my GPA got a nice boost as a result.

I worked… a lot…

Perhaps it is because I had a career before law school, but having externships during the school year has made my law school experience so much better. Each day I worked, I learned a new skill or more about my working style. I was able to be mentored by seasoned attorneys and learn from my mistakes, safely. Once we graduate, the training wheels are gone, and what we do could significantly impact a client. Working as an extern allowed me to experience many aspects of being an attorney without causing any damage to a case or client. I will be a more effective associate and attorney because of these lessons.

We all choose different paths in school, and there is no “right” or “wrong” way to complete your 2L. But my advice is to select a path that will allow you to grow and blossom within the constructs of the legal field. I loved everything I did, but I also could have hated it, and that would have been just as valuable as a lesson, and allowed me to course-correct if needed. Thank you for sharing the @The2LLife with me, and I look forward to seeing you next year in the @The3LLife!

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